Welcome,
I'm glad you're here listening to this guided meditation.
My name is Charlotte Rautenberg and in this meditation I invite you to pause,
To be with yourself,
With your feelings,
With your grief.
It takes courage to give attention to what lives deep inside,
To feel what can sometimes be so hard to carry.
Give yourself this moment.
Leave everything you are carrying from the outside world behind.
I invite you to sit or lie down comfortably.
Feel how your body makes contact with the chair or the floor.
Gently close your eyes.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Notice how the air softly flows into your nose and slowly moves back out again.
This is your time.
Just for you.
Let the tension from your shoulders melt away.
Let your hands rest soft and relaxed.
Grief in dementia is a grief that begins while someone is still alive.
You say goodbye to who someone once was while they are still here.
Perhaps you feel sadness,
Helplessness,
Love or longing.
Whatever arises,
Let it be.
There is no right,
There is no wrong.
Bring attention to the small things that slowly change.
A laugh you still recognize.
A story you no longer hear.
A touch that feels different.
Words that fade but moments that remain.
Feel the emptiness this can bring.
Allow yourself to feel the loss,
To welcome the tears.
Let them come without judgment.
They are a language of love.
Breathe in.
Notice how your body creates space for your sorrow.
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Feel your chest gently rise and fall.
Feel your hands,
Your feet,
The sensations of this moment.
Grief can be felt in the body.
It may feel heavy,
Maybe like a tightness in your heart.
Give your body permission to carry what it feels.
You don't need to talk.
You don't need to correct.
Simply being there is enough.
Imagine sitting beside your loved one.
Perhaps they are holding your hand.
Perhaps they look at you and smile.
Imagine breathing in together.
And breathe out together.
Feel the connection,
The togetherness.
Let this moment of love be here without needing to change anything.
Let memories softly pass by.
A smile.
A touch.
A moment you cherish.
Feel how these memories remain part of who you are together.
Feel gratitude for what once was,
Even as everything shifts.
Let memories come just as they are,
Without clinging or wishing to change them.
Pause with all that you have shared.
Acknowledge the richness of a love that never fades.
Grief in dementia is a slow letting go.
Piece by piece you release who someone once was.
And yet something remains.
Love.
Care.
Attention.
Imagine wrapping your loved one in this love.
As if it were a warm blanket of protection.
Breathe in.
Feel that you can take this farewell slowly.
Step by step.
Gently.
Now bring your attention slowly back to your body.
Notice the contact with the chair,
The floor,
Your surroundings.
Feel the here and now.
Breathe in gently.
Breathe out slowly.
Breathe deeply.
Open your eyes softly.
Notice that you are allowed to be here with all that you have felt and experienced.
Feel your body,
Your hands,
Your feet,
Your breath,
Everything present in this moment.
Know that what you feel,
Sorrow,
Love,
Longing,
Helplessness,
Is human and completely understandable.
Your emotions are proof of the love you carry.
Thank yourself for the courage to pause,
To meet your grief,
For your care,
Your attention,
Your loving presence.
Know that you are not alone in this process.
Place your hand on your heart and let this hand bring warmth,
Comfort and compassion.
Gently whisper to yourself,
I am allowed to feel what I feel.
I am doing my best.
I am not alone.
Be gentle with yourself.
Carry this moment in your heart,
Knowing every step you take in grief matters.
Even as sorrow is here,
Life continues to offer moments of love and connection.
Breathe in.
One final time,
In.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Carry with you this feeling of comfort and strength,
Knowing your love and care are meaningful,
For yourself and for your loved one.
Thank you for your courage to pause,
To feel and to be present with yourself.
Your heart,
Your love,
Your presence make a huge difference.
